Workout clothes are one of my favorite things to shop for because they can be so fun and different than your everyday style. If you are one to stay pretty basic in your wardrobe, workout clothes are a time you can stray from classic and predictable to FABULOUS and LOUD. Also, if you are working out nearly every day, it’s only fair to give yourself some options.

Now that I teach at YMCA and Golds Gym, I’ve given myself a pass to get some more workout clothes. I mean it IS for work? 😉 So I thought I’d share my process in choosing the best workout clothes for myself.

I bought some new beauties that I am very excited about strutting around the gym. And if you don’t strut around the gym, that’s a sign you need better workout clothes! You should feel like a hot momma when you get to the gym, because I swear, it makes your workout 100000x better.

Qualities Workout Clothes Must Have a Good…

There are a couple qualities that make or break my decision to buy a workout top or pant.

Fit

Workout clothes need to fit perfectly. No one wants to be uncomfortable when they are on their last mile, or lifting heavy. The last thing on your mind should be, “wow these are tight” or “I hope my pants don’t fall off in downward dog.”

Your workout clothes should be tight enough to feel secure, but not too tight to keep you feeling self conscious and uncomfortable.

Fabric

The fabric is key! From here on out I am only buying odor repellant workout clothes. Sorry, but no one wants to hang with you after working out for a quick coffee date, or errand, if you stank. Here are some brands that I love that have this lovely option.

• Unstinkable – Athleta has “Unstinkable” material that works well. Not to mention, how cute their workout clothes are! Why can’t we have it all?
• Silverescent Technology – LuLuLemon has created a Silverescent technology material that prevents odor in sweat. These silver threads are threaded throughout the material. Check some of their workout clothing out.
• Flash Dry Technology – North Face has this option for clothes that have a microporous additive that helps pull moisture away from the body, so you can workout for longer and stay dry!
• Cotton* – Crazy as it sounds, cotton is a good workout material to wear to ward off smell. However, it unfortunately is a moisture absorbent material so you will appear quite sweaty so don’t choose this option if you’ve got plans after.

Another tip for keeping the ick smell out of your gym clothes? Don’t use softener!  A softener leaves a coating on your clothes that then can actually trap in the stench. Ewww.

Style

The style of top and pant is super important based on your body type and activity. I have body proportions that usually cause any small straps to slip right off my shoulder, so I typically steer clear from just plain straps. I like razor backs the best and on occasion a halter.

As far as workout pants go, I basically HATE pants that are flared at all, I want my pants hugging my ankles. I’m not to proud to share that I have tripped over my flared pants before at the gym. #FAIL The crop pant just works well for me. For shorts, I like them to be tight and secure.

Look

Then, once all of that is figured out, it’s time to decide which color/design you like the best. This is what completes my decision making process. I typically like pretty bright standout colors for my gym clothes but occasionally choose black because black is awesome!

What do you look for in your workout clothes? Anything to add to the list?

I am so excited to introduce Erika Oliveira, a fabulous health and wellness coach in Oklahoma City! I mean, how fabulous is she?! She’s always so happy and makes you never want to disappoint her! Is that the secret to being such a great coach?! 😉

Finding amazing women, becoming their best friends, and sticking with them helps me to be my best self. This is a great piece of advice for anyone looking to make a positive change. Surround yourself with the right kind of inspiring, encouraging people and you will be in good shape, and in this case, literally.

Erika Oliveira, founder and creator of 413 Fitness, is killin’ it and probably one of the only health and wellness coaches I would want to work with because she is challenging, but isn’t going to drop you when you mess up. Not only is she super kind and fun to be around, she can whip you into shape and help you reach your goals in a healthy way.

I got to train with her the other day and learned some great tips and even adjustments to my form! I was surprised by some of the slight tweaks she made  to common moves I do on a regular basis, like the military press and deadlifts, which I thought I had down pat.

Alright, let’s get to know this #GirlBoss better!

1) Let us in on 413 Fitness!

413 fitness focuses on people’s fitness journey not just for the 30-60 minutes they train in the gym but for the other 23 hours they have in the day. I hold my clients accountable, teach them how to eat good food and give them creative options in the gym. As a health and wellness coach, I don’t give up on or fire clients when they feel like they’ve failed. Instead, I motivate them and help hit the reset button. This creates long lasting results.

413 fitness is based off of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I am so grateful for the opportunities God has put in my path and want to continue to serve in this aspect as well.

2) What made you get started in the industry?

I believe everyone should have at least one hobby that they are passionate about, stems creativity and makes them money. I’ve been an athlete my entire life and worked in the fitness industry as a hobby for almost 10 years. My hands on, real talk, 24/7 accountability style of health and wellness coaching appeals to people. The desire to help others reach their goals grew so strong that my corporate career was taking a backseat and I knew I needed to choose one or the other. I took a leap of faith and started 413 Fitness!

3) What are your goals for your business? For your training?

From day one its just been listening to God and what he wants from me. I have a strong circle of female entrepreneurs that I keep very close and brainstorm with. I want to keep most of my clientele online so that I am able to help people quicker and be more efficient with my business.

I’m a firm believer that women don’t compete, they lift each other up; so I LOVE networking with other businesses and showing off what services they provide.(!!See she’s the best! Can I get an Amen, y’all?!)Eventually, I would like to expand and bring other women on to the 413 team but that’s in due time.

4) Any quick tips for people to tone fast?

The biggest scam in the fitness industry is the word “fast.” Nothing happens fast. If someone tries to sell you something that will “work fast” run the opposite direction. The only thing that will help you achieve your goals is consistency in the kitchen and gym. The time frame is up to you. The harder you work, the faster you’ll get there.

I offer a 90 day nutrition plan and a 90 day workout plan as I have seen my clients adapt a healthier lifestyle in that time frame.

5)What’s your favorite type of workout?

Barre, plyo and weightlifting have always been my favorite styles to incorporate but in the past couple of years I’ve added on boxing and yoga.

Erika Oliveira’s Recommended 6 Moves to Tone Entire Body with Little to No Equipment

Erika recommended some of her favorite moves for me to share with you all. These six moves require little to no equipments – so no excuses 😉 These exercise moves are great for travel, at home, or in the gym.

1. Resistance band- These are great to have because you can easily travel with them and increase the weight often without weighing you down.

• Bicep curls. Using a resistance band slowly bring your arms up and slowly bring them back down to your sides. Really focus on only working those biceps. Don’t be calling on your other muscles to help the biceps out.

• Glute Bridge. These bridges are great for the glutes and hamstrings and you will most certainly feel the burn. You can choose to do with or without the resistance bands. The band adds great resistance though and will help you grow that booty.

2. Dumbbells. Every woman should have one set of dumbbells at their house to pull out and use on the fly. It might sound crazy, but just a little arm workout in between tasks can make a huge difference.

• Military press. Military press is one of my favorite moves because it tones the shoulders and arms beautifully. Erika coached me to hit the two of the weights at the top. All these years I’ve always kept them separated. I noticed a difference in the move and let me just say, game changer.

• Dead lifts. Yet another move that I have done incorrectly. I overextend on my glute squeeze at the top versus going straight up and squeezing. It’s going to be a hard habit to break but so worth it. It was one of those things I would mention in teaching but never think it was me overextending. Ooops.

3. Body weight. You don’t need anything to do planks or wall sits so you can literally do these moves anywhere.

• Plank variation. There’s nothing not to love about planking. Planks hit all your muscles and get that stomach toned fast. I love to get as straight as a board as possible and challenge myself to hold even 5 seconds longer each time.

• Wall sit. Erika rudely was putting a weight on my legs in this photo, but you can do it without.

Congrats to her by the way on taking the giant leap of starting this business, sooner than she had planned, but so worth it and clearly meant to be. We know that you will do awesome babe!

Do you have a coach, or a friend that helps hold you accountable for your health and fitness goals? Who is it? And if you don’t, you should!

You know those times when life gets a little bit crazy and you need some solace? A lot of my peace and happiness comes from laughter. I find laughter in the oddest places, a random comment, a quote, a photo, and even sometimes in the wrong moments where you have to actively hold back the giggles. However, sometimes when you get too stressed out, it just isn’t there. One place that I know I will always be able to find laughter is with my sister. Sisters just get each other.

After not getting to see each other in awhile, Colton and I went down to Houston for a weekend getaway to spend time with my sis, her husband, and their two fluffy (quite naughty) fur babies. Minnie made me even feel a little mischievous 😉

Cathleen and I were also able to celebrate a belated Sister’s Day. Sister’s Day is August 3. If you were unaware, no worries, it was made up by the Myers clan years ago and carried down to my sister and I. We would highly recommend you make a similar holiday, or carry on this one with us 🙂 Who doesn’t enjoy a made up holiday?

My sister has recently become quite the Yogi (you can follow her Instagram here) so I knew this top would be perfect for her. And mine, I mean… I love Kale? These adorable tops are from my girl Jordan Younger‘s clothing line Truth Balance Virtue. You probably know her as the blogger behind Balanced Blonde. I have a huge girl crush on her, so check her out if you haven’t before.

While in Houston, my sister tried to get me to be more yoga-y so I tried my best. The stretches felt amazing and the beach scene definitely helped me feel more zen. One day I will get into yoga. Does anyone else really want to and try to, but just not feel it, like me?

We also went to her gym, F3 Cross Training, for a tough class and I absolutely loved it. I definitely struggled with the pull-ups part of it. They were beasts! I did 75 assisted pull-ups and left feeling pretty awesome and beastly myself. You can’t beat that “leaving the gym after killing your workout” feeling.

We were literally dripping in sweat leaving the class. Running a few miles + body weight exercises is where it’s at y’all!

Hope you have a great week! Any hard workouts planned? 🙂